ECM Editorial: It’s time do do the people’s business

A record number of Minnesota voters on Tuesday, Nov. 6 sent a strong message to their legislators – end the gridlock, compromise and do what’s best for the state, not for the political party.

They had in mind those days when inability to reach a compromise on a budget actually shut down the state government.

To make sure gridlock ends, Minnesotans gave Gov. Mark Dayton and the Democrats a clear path by giving Dayton a legislature controlled by the DFL.

Minnesotans expect to see less fighting and more compromising on a balanced budget, including some revenue raisers, a reformed tax system, equitable funding for schools, incentives for business development and assistance for the disabled and the elderly.

In giving Gov. Dayton a DFL-controlled House and Senate, voters showed they have trust in his ability to work with all legislators, regardless of their political stripes, and do the people’s business.

This is no time for the DFL to gloat over this legislative victory. Rather, leaders of both parties and the governor must be willing to forget the rancor of the campaign and heed the voters’ concerns. To push for a long list of liberal initiatives is not what voters said they want. They want legislation that will fix the economy, encourage businesses and provide jobs.

Republican members need to understand that doing what the public wants, in a civil manner, trumps what their conservative views and party affiliation dictates.

In a campaign of unprecedented spending, Minnesotans had to wade through a barrage of campaign ads, some of them misleading and false.

They also sent a message in voting down two amendments to the Minnesota Constitution, that they want a more tolerant society that includes gays who are married and voters who would have difficulty obtaining a government-issued ID.

This election was not a victory so much for the DFL as it was for the people who believe their legislators should stop fighting one another and fight for what the people say they want.

It’s the DFL party’s turn in power. Failure to heed what the people want in their government could result in their losing the people’s trust and confidence two years from now.

This is an editorial from the ECM Editorial Board. The Princeton Union-Eagle is a publication of ECM Publishers, Inc.